


[L]ong L[i]ve the Fl[a]mes of [R]ebellion

by Parsley_and_Sage



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cause there's a whole kingdom based around that, How Do I Tag, How do I characterize?, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm bad at naming, Kemonomimi, M/M, Not Beta Read, Revolution, SDR2 and THH characters as background characters, Shuichi spelled as Shuuichi, The first ship matters the most, may be ooc, oma spelled as ouma, royals au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 20:29:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parsley_and_Sage/pseuds/Parsley_and_Sage
Summary: Once upon a time, there existed the prosperous kingdom of Fors, lead by a kind king. However, Fors was small and weak despite being so successful, and its neighboring country, Niveus, easily took over the tiny kingdom. Its nobles were publicly executed, and the foreign royalty ruled the country with an iron fist. Any dissenters were executed mercilessly and painfully to discourage a possible uprising.But it is such danger that sows the seeds of doubt and fans the flames of rebellion.-“The small Kitsune grinned sharply at him, his four tails swaying playfully in the air. ‘Have you thought about it? What’s your answer?’“He looks down at the boy’s ratty and torn clothes, limbs bruised black and blue and sickly purples. Despite it, his eyes shine with a certain sort of mischief, his smug smile denoting that he knew something the other did not. Was it really worth it, trusting a boy like this?“He stuck out his hand, tantalizing and promising freedom. Shuuichi reached up and grabbed it. Absolutely. Anything was worth the liberty he⸻no, the entire kingdom⸻craved.“‘Let’s start a revolution.’”(Fantasy/Royals/Rebels AU)





	[L]ong L[i]ve the Fl[a]mes of [R]ebellion

_ Once upon a time, there existed the prosperous kingdom of Fors, lead by a kind king. However, Fors was small and weak despite being so successful, and its neighboring country, Niveus, easily took over the tiny kingdom. Its nobles were publicly executed, and the foreign royalty ruled the country with an iron fist. Any dissenters were executed mercilessly and painfully to discourage a possible uprising. _

 

_ But it is such danger that sows the seeds of doubt and fans the flames of rebellion. _

 

❈火❃

 

It’s another beautiful day in Fors.

 

At least, what was left of Fors. Shuuichi Saihara sighs and steps outside, glancing around the crowded inner streets of Premus, the last city left of the fallen kingdom. Fifty years ago, its neighboring kingdom, Niveus, had invaded and conquered much of the small country. In an attempt to preserve the culture of Fors, a few of the nobles and higher-ups ordered the building of an underground city, where many of the population against the new rulers retreated to. 

 

Thankfully, Premus was never found, but due to its isolation and placement underground, it lacked what was necessary for life or society to flourish. Famine, disease and crime ran rampant inside over food and clothes. It was a risk to go onto the surface and buy food, with guards stationed everywhere. Still, while being hungry and starving was hardly pleasant, retaining what little freedom they had was worth it.

 

However, to keep the city as secret as possible and to preserve all the supplies that were left, they had to keep the population small. In that way, all people older than sixteen and younger than forty-five and lacked any specific job inside the city had to leave. And Shuuichi’s sixteenth birthday had just passed.

 

His uncle exits after him, a worried look on his face. He had been rather protective of his nephew after watching his younger sister and her husband die by the hands of the Nivean guards and never wanted him to meet the same fate. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, laying a hand on Shuuichi’s shoulder.

 

Shuuichi sighed. “It’s the law.” He smiled slightly, a melancholy air surrounding him. “We all can’t have a job as a detective like you, Uncle.”

 

His uncle was only thirty-eight, but he had a job as a detective. It was due to that that he was never booted out of the city. “I can make you my apprentice. After you solved that case, I doubt anyone will complain,” his uncle offered, grasping at straws.

 

“You know what the law says,” Shuuichi murmured. “‘All citizens older than sixteen and younger than forty-five that lack a job that benefits Premus significantly must leave the city.’ And ‘no two citizens may have the same job unless multiple people are required.’ There’s even a list of the jobs that can have more than one person working on it, and you know that investigator isn’t on it.”

 

His uncle pursed his lips, looking ready to cry. “I know, Shuuichi. I just want to protect you from the outside. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and I don’t want you to be exposed to anything like that.”

 

“I know, Uncle. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Shuuichi.”

 

They stayed that way in silence, comforted by each other’s presence, before Shuuichi made his way to leave. “I have to go Uncle. If I don’t go now, I don’t think I ever will.”

 

“Are you sure you have everything you need?”

 

“Yes. And you’ve taught me well. I’m sure I can survive.”

 

His uncle sighed. “I see you’re really bent on leaving, huh? Well, take this with you, too.” He fished out of his pockets a beautiful necklace, the slim, silver chain long and elegant. It was attached to a glowing, blue gem in the center, framed by silver. Its diamond shape was complemented by two golden bands that went around the gem and crossed over each other at the tip. Delicate, runic carvings covered every inch of the gem, only amplifying its allure, both magical and mundane. At Shuuichi’s dumbstruck expression, he shrugged. “It’s a necklace that used to belong to your mom that, according to her, has unknown magical properties. It was passed down the main line of the Saihara family once they reached adulthood and full mastery of their magic. Your mom never gave birth to any girls though, so I thought it’d be fitting to give it to you. After all, you carry her name.”

 

It took Shuuichi a time to take in his uncle’s words. Although he never knew his mother very well, his uncle always told him about the family she came from. The main line of the Saihara clan was composed mostly of magical beings, with it being traditionally females that took the Saihara last name.  After all, it was generally females that were gifted in magic, since the Fae blood that ran in their veins were usually more prominent in girls than boys. It was considered sacrilege for any mundane being to take up the Saihara last name.

 

However, Shuuichi, who was born with a feminine face, pointed ears and glowing, aureate eyes, was one of the few males that were born with Fae blood, thus allowing him to carry on his dead mother’s legacy. He was one of the few Saiharas that were left, all of the others eradicated due to their raw power, so he knew learning about his parents was bound to be a fruitless effort. As such, he held on to any connection of his ancestors he could find.

 

“Really, Uncle? You’re… giving this to me?” Shuuichi surreptitiously pinched himself. Surely this was a dream! To his delight, he did not wake up. “I⸻thank you, Uncle.”

 

“It’s only fitting, Shuuichi. You’re a man now. Make your parents and I proud.”

 

“I will. I promise.”

 

❈水❃

 

The outside was organized chaos.

 

The entrance and exit to Premus was heavily guarded by both wildlife and people. Located inside a dense forest so dangerous that most people, not even the Nivean royalty, dared to go inside, even getting out of the forest was a slight pain. Of course, the forest was only dangerous to those who wished to harm it, not that anyone was in a rush to tell the Nivean that. To Shuuichi, it was only mildly unsettling, especially with all the creatures tailing after him due to his aura, but it was bearable.

 

However, when he reached the town of Syl, that was when he started to regret not taking his uncle up on his offer. 

 

Syl was one of the more peaceful towns. While it was anti-Nivean and proud of it, it never made a big deal or tried to stir up trouble, so it had less guards positioned around it. It also had a moderately large population, which was enough for anyone coming from Premus to start getting used to larger towns, but not enough to completely overwhelm any new visitors or to bring more attention to it.

 

However, even for a peaceful town, it was quite ugly. Its main roads were nice enough, paved and pretty with big houses lining its sides. The only downside were the Nivean guards that stood on every corner, and it took a few hastily cast invisibility spells for Shuuichi to go unnoticed. He had to reach a certain destination to get an ID forged before he could encounter any guards.

 

In contrast, Syl’s back alleyways were not pretty at all. The town consisted mostly of invisible, dark alleyways that seemed to be rather short to any newcomer, but were long enough to get you lost. Multiple times, he passed by gangs beating up other gangs over scraps of food or territories, and, as much as it hurt to just leave them be, Shuuichi found himself powerless. The only thing he could do was walk away, unless he wanted to get beaten up too.

 

Finally, he passed a dark building in a bigger, empty road. At first glance, it seemed to be a plain cafe on the cusp of collapse. However, anyone from Premus knew the place was nothing like that.

 

Shuuichi entered the building, watching in wonder as his invisibility spell was forcibly stripped off by the magic ward that surrounded the store. Anything affecting the person’s appearance or identity would be nullified, and the manager would automatically get a scan of the person’s belongings, true appearance, magical capabilities and ID card, should they have one. It was a nifty sort of magic, but not the type Shuuichi specialized in.

 

“Hello, how may I help you?” a bored-looking young adult asked, peering at him through half lidded eyes. The manager, a woman Shuuichi knew as Kyouko Kirigiri, yawned and stretched, cracking her back in the process, before going back to leaning over the counter, head lying lazily on her palm.

 

Shuuichi smiled knowingly in response. While the yawn and stretch may seem rather indifferent and slothful to a regular customer who expected a cup of coffee, Shuuichi knew that it was Kyouko’s way of saying ‘You don’t have an ID. Do you need one?’

 

He walked up to the counter. “Quite the shop you have here. It’s rather nice. I might recommend it to a couple of my friends, if that’s okay with you.” He copied Kyouko’s stance, drumming his fingers on the counter. “I’d like an americano with five cubes of sugar but no cream. I’d also like a side of banana nut bread and a cake pop. To go, please.” That was his response to the nonverbal question⸻ ‘Yes, I’m from Premus. I’d like an ID with a first name but fake last name. It should state my job as a traveling alchemist and potioneer.’

 

Alchemy was a science, as his uncle had drilled in his head, so anyone could perform it. As such, it was allowed in the Niveus-run Fors. It was the same with Potions, since all that was needed for potions was a soul, and everyone had one. Along with reading and practicing magic, Shuuichi had his uncle teach him Alchemy and Potions in preparation for this day. To do magic, however, you would need to be licensed by a government official, and anyone with too much magic would be executed on the spot.

 

“Sure. You want that americano with whipped cream or not?” Kyouko asked. “It’ll cost you though.”

 

He heard the silent warning. ‘Are you sure you’re up to the task? If you can’t do Alchemy and brew Potions, you should get a different job.’

 

“I have plenty of money, so whipped cream is fine,” Shuuichi responded. ‘Yes, I’m proficient in both.’

 

“Thank you. However, your order is rather complicated, so I would like you to accompany me to the back so I do not forget it,” Kyouko requested.

 

“That’s fine.”

 

Once he passed by the counter, the illusion of a cafe faded, and Shuuichi finally saw the building as what it really was - a place of magic. Runic carvings and complex wards lined the walls, and tomes covered every surface. Charms and crystals hung from the ceiling, falling to a height that easily smacked him in the face.

 

“Here.” She stopped by a stack of white cards before turning towards Shuuichi. “I’ll need your date of birth, weight, height, sex, hair and eye color. What do you want your last name to be?”

 

Shuuichi hummed thoughtfully. “My birthday was September 7th, XXXX, and I am male. I am 5’ 7” and weigh 128 pounds. I have black hair, although some may classify it as blue, and golden eyes. As for my last name... my uncle’s last name is ‘Hinata.’ I suppose Shuuichi Hinata would work well.”

 

“Shuuichi Hinata, hm? ‘The last one’ and ‘to face the sun.’ That could be interpreted multiple ways,” Kyouko remarked. “Now, I’ll have to take a picture of you. Please stand there, and do not move.” She pointed towards the neon green section of the store.

 

He nodded, standing against the painted wall as Kyouko took a picture. A few minutes, which felt like forever to Shuuichi, passed, and he was given the okay to move again.

 

“All IDs have the same background,” she explained, Shuuichi watching in interest as Kyouko began working on the card. “It’s a way of making sure that the ID is authentic.”

 

Kyouko Kirigiri was a witch, and a talented one at that. While her blood was diluted, she was magical enough to be assigned creating ID cards after applying for a government job. However, she decided to fake her death and go on to creating fake IDs for those who needed it after witnessing the public execution of starving children that stole bread. Despite being Nivean, she was a friend to all Forian in need.

 

Some time later, Shuuichi was presented with a white card, a picture of him and his alias written next to it. Below it, there was his occupation (“Alchemist and Potioneer”) and underneath that was his address (“TRAVELER”). Below that was his birthday. On the bottom right corner, his gender, hair color, eye color, height and weight were listed, along with an expiration date.

 

“Just sign under your picture.” She handed him a pen. “And make sure you come back to get your ID renewed by the expiration date. If someone finds you with an expired ID, you’re as good as dead out there.”

 

“Thank you, Ms. Kirigiri. I’ll keep that in mind.” He bowed slightly before heading towards the front door.

 

He had almost stepped out before he heard a shout. “Wait! Shuuichi!”

 

Jumping a little, he turned a round to the normally stoic shopkeeper. “Oh, I’m sorry! Did I forget something?”

 

Kyouko shook her head. “No, although I would like to inquire whether you have any money on you or would like a place to stay. I would be happy to lend you either should you need it.”

 

“Oh, no, I’m fine!” He dug through the pouch on his waist, pulling out a handful of small, gold coins. “This is all I have, but it should be enough to last me a while here. And don’t worry about lodgings. I’ll manage, and nothing could be worse than the places I’ve lived. Besides, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

 

The manager relaxed, smiling slightly. “Alright. But a word of advice?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Keep that necklace tucked into your shirt. You could get killed for having such a powerful artifact on you.”

 

He blushed cherry red, hastily tucking the glowing gem under his tunic. “Uh-- thank you, Ms. Kirigiri! Have a great day!”

 

“You too.”

 

❈土❃

 

The first night in Syl was rather peaceful, considering some of the horror stories he had heard from the others in Premus. “The outside world is a bad place,” he would remember his Uncle telling him. “You’ll have to go out someday, but for now, be glad you’re still young and sheltered.”

 

Somehow, he had found a relatively intact shelter in a back alleyway. Although it was filthy and lacked a roof, it was small and secluded enough to be forgotten easily, and his dark clothes allowed him to blend in with the shadows. Three walls hugged him tightly too, promising him shelter from the biting wind. Thankfully, there was nothing marking the spot belonging to someone else, it lacking the usual scuff marks and scratches that would mark it as used in the past few months.

 

Shuuichi grimaced, adjusting himself for the nth time. He was tired and wanted to sleep, but falling asleep in such a position⸻and against such a hard surface no less!⸻was difficult and frustrating. His natural paranoia from living in a hidden city like Premus had not worn off, only intensifying with each moment he spent outside. What if the guards found his necklace? What if thieves found him while he was asleep? What if someone realized he was of Fae blood and a Saihara and told the authorities? Even casting a few invisibility charms did him little good, only serving to heighten his anxious state. What if…?

 

Delirious and exhausted, he first thought he was hearing things when he heard the soft sniffing. After all, sniffing was mostly done by dogs and other animals, and Niveus had banned pets a long time ago. “Mm… go away,” he moaned, curling up into a ball. He had just fallen into an, albeit light, sleep, so it was irritating for the teen to be woken up.

 

“An invisible person? Guess I’ll have to inform the guards that there’s someone with Fae blood in this alleyway…” the voice muttered, startling Shuuichi awake.

 

His mind raced. He had to do something, or else he would surely be figured out! “Huh? What’re you talking about?” He quickly deactivated the charm and stepped out of the shadows, thankful for the dark camouflage. Although he couldn’t quite make out the figure, the person decked out in dark clothes that blended in perfectly with the shadows, he could make out their small frame. Perhaps it was a child?

 

“Oh! The person appeared!” the child exclaimed. “Mister, I’m taking you to the guards, ‘cos you were doing magic, and they told us that anyone who does magic has to be registered!”

 

Shuuichi bit his lips, his worst fears coming true. Still, a bit of doubt lingered in his mind. What was the sniffing that woke him up? How did the child spot him, considering that he had cast an invisibility spell and there was no shadow to reveal his presence? He breathed, trying to steady his panicking pulse. “Alright. Take me to the guards. You’ll see that I’m registered.”

 

“Okay! Follow me!” The child beckoned him to the main roads, and Shuuichi’s breath hitched in his throat. He had the feeling that whoever the child was, he didn’t want to be found out either, but he didn’t expect the other to go along with the bluff.

 

The duo walked to the end of the alleyway and the shadows. “See those guards over there?” the child asked, pointing towards a pair of guards. Shuuichi gulped. “There they are! Show ‘em your ID!”

 

He turned towards the figure. “Aren’t you going to come too?”

 

They laughed. “Of course not. I’m suicidal, you know.”

 

“But if you were a citizen of F⸻er, Niveus, you’d have no problem with the guards.”

 

The other glared at him. Although darkness shrouded them, it couldn’t disguise the metaphorical daggers the other was sending his way. “So? What’s your point? Maybe I just don’t feel like it. Maybe one of those guards is my father, and he doesn’t want me going out at night! Maybe I’m secretly a reverse vampire, and moonlight kills me. Did you ever think about that?”

 

Shuuichi gulped before taking a deep breath. ‘Calm down, focus,’ he reminded himself, and let himself draw the conclusions and words necessary. “I… I don’t think it’s any of that.”

 

“Oh? And, pray tell, what is it? Tell me. Why won’t I go out into the moonlight?”

 

Why did it suddenly feel like he was being quizzed? He placed his hand over his chest, the warmth of the necklace soothing him. “You won’t go where they’ll see you… because you’re not a citizen. In fact, I’ll even say that you’re not human to begin with.”

 

Silence. Then, “Not human?” The other began laughing, not loud enough for them to get caught, but still maniacal nonetheless. “ _ Not human? _ Man, that’s got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!”

 

“Prove it then. Show yourself.”

 

They huffed. “What’s the fun in that? And here I was thinking I was enjoying this little game of ours, too…”

“Do you admit you’re not human?”

 

“Don’t put words into my mouth!” they whined. “Although… if I were, hypothetically speaking of course, not human, what do you think I am, hm? Am I a Draco? Or am I a member of those shape-shifting Kemono clans down south-west? Or maybe I really am a vampire!”

 

Shuuichi fiddled with the chain of his pendant. Judging by their sniffing him, they probably had a good sense of smell. There was also that comment about ‘Fae blood,’ which was strange. Most species were unable to smell magic, unless…

 

“Yes. In fact, I believe you’re a shapeshifter from Kemonomimi. And judging by your mischievous personality, I’d think you a fox,” Shuuichi responded. “You were able to find me without a shadow, which explains the snuffling I woke up to. You were sniffing me out! Smelling people out is normal enough in plenty of species, so that doesn’t eliminate many choices until we get to your comment about my ‘Fae blood.’ Only canine Kemono have a keen enough sense of smell to scent out different magical blood types, so that leaves the Inu, Okami and Kitsune. However, you’re probably Kitsune, what with your playful teasing and lies.”

 

There was a beat of silence, and Shuuichi’s heart stopped. He was hoping he wasn’t wrong, but the figure’s blank look neither affirmed nor denied his suspicions. That is, until the creature started giggling, not dramatically like the first time, but genuinely, like he was truly happy. 

 

“Congratulations. You found me out,” the newfound Kitsune said, voice calmer now. They seemed to the cock their head to the side before pulling out a shining, red light. “I’m an exiled Kitsune.”

 

Shuuichi blinked in shock as he took in the Kemono’s appearance. Although they (he, probably, although Shuuichi couldn’t be too sure) looked generally human at first glance, like most Kemono, the pitch black fox ears perched on his head and four black tails marked him as non-human.

 

“Y-Your tails…” he murmured. He knew that Kitsune usually had numerous tails, nine being the rarest and marking them as royalty and one being the most common, but he had never heard of a Kitsune with four tails before.

 

The fox smiled at him, melancholy but somehow mocking at the same time. “What about them? Are you scared that I only have four tails? ‘Oh nooooo! The scary, unlucky Kitsune’s gonna get you and rip out your guts, ‘cause apparently the number of their tails means they can’t do anything but kill!’ You gonna run out the alley, screaming your head off? As much as I’d find that funny, I’m afraid that a Fae blood as powerful as you has his uses, and I’m willing to let you go.”

 

“W-What?” Shuuichi couldn’t help but stutter out. There was so much in that piece of dialogue that he didn’t quite catch. “What do you mean, ‘unlucky?’”

 

The fox rolled their eyes. “Geez, what are you, living under a rock? Four is an unlucky number, and in Kemono society, the number of tails you have defines your role in life. Apparently I’m going to become a serial killer because of this.” They sighed and rolled their eyes. “Not to mention my completely black fur means I’m a terrible person, for whatever reason.”

 

“Okay… And what was that about my Fae blood?”

 

“Gods, can’t you listen?” they groused. “Luna blood’s okay, but Fae blood is a lot more powerful, and I need as much power as I can get.” He grinned, sharp canines glinting in the ruby light. Sticking his hand out for a handshake, he introduced himself. “The name’s Kokichi. And I’m starting a revolution.”

 

❈风❃

 

‘I’m starting a revolution. I’m starting a revolution.’

 

The words bounced around in Shuuichi’s head. “A revolution, huh?” he muttered. “Good luck.”

 

Kokichi, who was probably a guy considering the masculine name, had explained his plan to Shuuichi. “We’re going to drive Niveus out of Fors,” he had said. “First, we have to obtain foreign help, which is where you come in handy. You’re of Fae blood, and you already demonstrated that you’re good with that magic of yours. That makes it easier to sneak out, and I already know plenty of secret entrances and exits in an out of Fors. We’ll first cross the river into Kemonomimi, and I’ll conduct diplomacy there. All you’ll have to do is sit still, look pretty, and agree to whatever they say.

 

“The next country over is Anima. They’re pretty accepting of Fae blood, but the country’s full of feminists. It doesn’t matter though. Our pretty faces will charm them, I’m sure. After all, it’s not like you could  _ tell _ my gender just from first glance.” He looked amused by Shuuichi’s sputtering and cherry red face.

 

“Finally, we can tackle Avia. They’re a bunch of game-playing assholes who think they’re better than everyone, but if we get on our knees and beg hard enough, they’ll probably help us.” He snickered at the junior detective’s protests. “Yeah, no. I’m not doing that either. All we’ll have to do is beat ‘em at games. They’re pretty smart, I’ll give them that, but they win most of the time by cheating with magic. If we win despite that, they’ll want to ally themselves with us.”

 

“What about Fors?”

 

“Fors?” Kokichi cast him a wicked grin. “Fors is easy. You’ll see why.” He gave no other explanation other than that.

 

Shuuichi shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Kokichi’s plan was good, but was it good enough? From the Kitsune’s attitude, he could tell the other probably didn’t have too many bonds connecting him with Fors, but Shuuichi did. He had his uncle and his, albeit deceased, ancestors that had always connected him to the country. Was he willing to sacrifice that and more?

 

It was for that reason he had asked Kokichi to give him time to think. The smaller boy looked confused and lost at the answer, but agreed nonetheless, using his advanced physical strength to jump onto the rooftops to get away. “We’ll meet same place at noon tomorrow, got it?” He called out.

 

‘A revolution. A revolution. A revolution.’

 

Was it really worth it?

 

He was startled out of his thoughts by a loud crash. He stood up immediately, glancing around to find what created the sound. Even though there was a chance that they were just a racoon or something, it was possible it was human.

 

He almost considered casting a spell, but shook his head. He was tired from yesterday, casting two, long-lasting invisibility charms tiring him out. Furthermore, if the cause was human, he didn’t want them to spot his shadow and find him out as a witch.

 

To his dismay, the crash came from a human. “Guys, I found a spot!” they shouted. “We could probably expand out turf here. Doesn’t look like anyone else’s claimed this place.”

 

Shuuichi held his breath. ‘Please don’t look here,’ he begged. ‘Please don’t notice me.’

 

They did.

 

“What’s this? No one else?” a larger man, asked, glaring at the first man. Shuuichi whimpered and curled into himself. What horrid luck.

 

“Aw, it’s just a kid. Let’s teach him a lesson about messing with us, and then we can throw him out, Boss,” the man from before said.

 

‘Boss’ lifted Shuuichi by the collar, greedy eyes set on the glittering chain that hung from his neck. “Nice jewelry you got there, kid. Think it’ll sell for much?”

 

Shuuichi’s breath hitched, fingers scrabbling at the necklace under his tunic. The warmth relaxed him somewhat, but he remained panicked. It was the only thing that he had of his parents.

 

The man in charge slammed the boy against the hard, brick wall, causing spots to form in his vision. “L-Let go of me,” he managed to croak out despite the pain and blood dripping down his head.

 

“What’d you say to me?” the man growled.

 

Shuichi bit his bottom lip. “L… Let go of me, please!”

 

“Listen here,  _ bitch _ . Know your  _ goddamned _ place before you start asking me for favors,” the gang boss snarled, punctuating his sentences with a painful punch to the stomach. “If you want it so bad, beg."

 

As soon as he let go, the witch immediately fell to his knees. Warm blood trickled to his neck and onto the ground, and he coughed painfully. “D-Don’t you think you were a little harsh on him?” a meeker member stuttered, before being hushed by a harsh glare.

 

The boss, taking advantage of the boy’s position, placed his foot on his back. The pressure almost made Shuuichi’s elbows buckle under him. “What’re you being so quiet for?” he barked, increasing the pressure. “If you want it to stop so bad, then beg.”

 

“I… P-Please, let me go,” Shuuichi murmured before coughing some more. 

 

“Louder.”

 

The witch opened his mouth to repeat himself, but he was interrupted by a loud, “Hey.”

 

“Kokichi!”

 

Almost immediately, the boss lifted his foot from Shuuichi’s back, staring up at the Kitsune, who was standing on the rooftops. “What are you doing with my prey?” the fox growled, his four tails fanning out threateningly.

 

“He was trespassing, so we decided to teach him a lesson,” the boss responded icily, cracking his knuckles, oblivious to some of the smarter members’ decisions to run from the murderous Kemono.

 

The Kistune chuckled darkly. “I guess I’ll have to teach you a lesson in pain,” he muttered, leaping down.

 

The fight was quick and brutal. Although Shuuichi was too busy nursing his head wound to pay attention, he snapped up to attention when Kokichi croaked out a short, “Shuuichi.”

 

The witch flinched. “...I don’t remember telling you my name,” he responded.

 

“Your ID.” The Kitsune tossed him his ID, much to the panic of the raven.

 

“W-What? Do you know much much trouble I would’ve been in if I didn’t have this?” Shuuichi quickly put the card away. “”I c-could’ve been killed, Kokichi!”

 

“Hide your stuff better.” The fox licked at a nasty bruise on his arm, drawing the other’s attention to his wounds.

 

“You didn’t have to protect me like that, you know.” Shuuichi took out a foldable cauldron from within his bag, before sketching out the alchemy circle for converting water vapor into its liquid form. He activated it, watching in fascination as his cauldron filled up with water.

 

The fox snorted. “Who said I did it for you? I wanted to fight some gang members, like those heroes you always read about in stories.”

 

As Shuuichi quickly prepared a healing potion for both him and Kokichi, the fox sauntered over to where the Potioneer sat. The small Kitsune grinned sharply at him, his four tails swaying playfully in the air. “Well? What’s your answer?”

 

He looks down at the boy’s ratty and torn clothes, limbs bruised black and blue and sickly purples. Despite it, his eyes shine with a certain sort of mischief, his smug smile denoting that he knew something the other did not. Was it really worth it, trusting a boy like this? 

 

He stuck out his hand, tantalizing and promising freedom. Shuuichi reached up and grabbed it. Absolutely. Anything was worth the liberty he⸻no, the entire  _ kingdom⸻ _ craved.  

 

“Let’s start a revolution.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote 50% of this drunk off of stress and the other 50% craving sleep. So sorry if it sucks or if there are bad mistakes I didn't catch or if stuff doesn't make sense. I'll try to explain it later.
> 
> Thanks for getting to the end of this long-ass chapter, hahaha. If you don't understand something, comment and I'll get to you ASAP.
> 
> Again, thanks for reading.
> 
> P.S. - do you think the chapter is too long? Should I shorten it, or leave it the way it is?


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